WHEN doing sushi, one automatically pictures an Oriental maestro chopping and slicing away to dish up delectable fare, but on the outskirts of Mtunzini, in Obanjeni Valley, two passionate Zulu boys are making waves offering original Japanese cuisine.
Best friends since the age of two, Lethu Mthethwa and Nkosinathi Mkhize recently established their mobile sushi bar catering for fish lovers across Zululand.
Under the banner ‘Empire Sushi Catering’, the duo aspire to open a restaurant in Mtunzini offering the finest Asian cuisine, specialising in sushi.
‘I love everything about sushi. Making it, eating it, the rich Asian culture behind it,’ says Lethu.
‘I had a mentor from China who taught me a lot while I worked at the Cape Town Fish Market.’
Having matriculated in 2010, Lethu moved to Durban to further his studies, but in his first year lost both his mother and grandmother.
‘It was a traumatic year and they were the only breadwinners at home, so I left college to work and provide for my siblings,
‘I joined a marketing agency for a few months where I gained knowledge of the industry and shortly after joined a franchise in Durban where I completed a sushi course and was subsequently promoted to assistant sushi chef.’
After his experience in the hospitality industry, Lethu returned home this year and in partnership with his Information Technology graduate pal Nkosinathi, started their entrepreneurial venture.
‘Since we are both unemployed,we have had great support and sponsorship from Father Ndaba of Emoyeni-based Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church. He has given us money to register our mobile sushi bar,’ said Nkosinathi.
Passionate about food, the pair set off to Durban to an all exclusive sushi ingredient store where Lethu explained the use and flavour of each component to Nkosinathi.
